2011 news releases

The smart choice for a safe ride home: Operation Red Nose

Nov. 23, 2011

Operation Red Nose, with its provincial sponsor, SGI, are gearing up with the help of dedicated volunteers to make the roads safer in Saskatchewan this holiday season. From November 25th to December 31st, 2011, the red vested volunteers will be on the road to help people who feel unfit to drive to get back home safely in their own car.

During this third campaign in Saskatchewan, the Operation Red Nose volunteers, headquartered in The Battlefords and Prince Albert will be taking calls from partygoers with one goal in mind: to make roads and highways safer for everyone. The Operation Red Nose service is entirely provided by volunteers and donations are always accepted. “One hundred percent of the client donations are given to local non-profit organizations that support youth and/or amateur sports. Every year, more than $1,300,000 is returned to these organizations across Canada,” declares Jean-Marie De Koninck, Founding President of Operation Red Nose.

SGI, the provincial sponsor

“SGI has sponsored Operation Red Nose in The Battlefords for the past three years and is pleased to see the program expand to Prince Albert,” said Shannon Ell, Manager of Traffic Safety Promotion at SGI. “Motorists should always plan a safe ride home. Operation Red Nose helps people do just that by providing another alternative to impaired driving over the holiday season.”

Volunteers: the heart and soul of Operation Red Nose

The Operation Red Nose service is based on the participation of volunteers devoted to their communities. Last year, numerous volunteers came out to enjoy a fun evening driving people home safely. People brought along their coworkers, friends and family. With the 2011 campaign just around the corner, anyone interested in volunteering with us can visit OperationRedNose.com to download an application form.

Follow us on Twitter

New this year is the presence of Operation Red Nose on Twitter (@ORNose). In order to connect with its volunteers, clients, partners and local host organizations, Operation Red Nose is now “tweeting” with less than 140 characters to provide real-time information on its service and activities.

Operation Red Nose in Saskatchewan

Operation Red Nose is hosted locally by a non-profit organization that plans, with the help of the National office in Quebec City, the safe ride home service in its community. Any youth or amateur sports organization looking for an original way to raise funds and interested in hosting our road safety campaign in its community may visit our website at OperationRedNose.com to find out more.

Operation Red Nose in 2011: The largest territory covered ever

Founded in 1984 by Jean-Marie De Koninck, Operation Red Nose is a national road safety campaign against impaired driving. This year is the largest Operation Red Nose campaign to date, with the service available in 111 host communities, from coast to coast, in eight Canadian provinces. Last year, 55,174 volunteers provided 81,022 rides in communities across Canada.